Washington — Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) called for legislation to be included in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, also known as the highway bill, that would take into account the safety of all users, including pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists, when planning and building roadways. In a letter to Chairman Bill Shuster and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio, Reps. Steve Israel, Doris Matsui (CA-06) and David Joyce (OH-14) requested inclusion of robust Complete Streets provisions in the long-term Highway Bill, which is scheduled to be marked-up in committee on October 22nd.
Rep. Israel said, “Ensuring our roads are safe for all New Yorkers--whether they are in a vehicle, walking or on a bicycle--is simply common sense. Recent reports found that parts of Jericho Turnpike in Suffolk County and Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County are the most dangerous roads in the Tri-State area for pedestrians, and week after week we hear reports of pedestrians or bicyclists hurt or killed on our roads – lives lost which could have been prevented. That’s why I am requesting we include provisions in the long-term Highway Bill that encourage safety for all travelers when planning and building roadways.”
“Between 2003 and 2012, more than 47,000 people died, and 676,000 people were injured on our nation’s roads, simply trying to walk to their destinations. The tragedy of these stats play out in our tri-state region where the most deadly road for pedestrians throughout NY, NJ and CT is Jericho Turnpike in Suffolk County, Long Island. Between 2010 and 2013, 220 pedestrians were killed by a vehicle while walking on LI’s roads. These are unacceptable tragedies preventable with road design changes. We urge the House to include the critically important Complete Streets provision in the Highway Transportation bill; it is a key step towards ensuring our streets are planned and designed to be safe for everyone,” says Nadine Lemmon, NY & Federal Policy Coordinator, Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
“Long Island continues to have some of the most unsafe roadways in New York State for pedestrian and bicyclists. As our region grows there is a desire for safe walkable communities in our downtowns and areas where young people, families and seniors congregate. Kudos to Congressman Israel for coordinating Federal support, through the Safe Streets Act, for these critical infrastructure investments,” said Eric Alexander, Director, Vision Long Island.
"AARP supports the inclusion of a safe streets provision, like that proposed by Congressman Israel, in the highway bill,” said Bernard Macias, AARP New York's Associate State Director for Long Island. “Mobility is critical for older citizens, and requiring planners to think through road design for all users and not just motorists can go a long way to improving the quality of life for everyone. Complete streets are an important part of making our communities age-friendly and helping New Yorkers age in place - as the vast majority want to do."
Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have continued to increase over the past few years. In a report by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, analysis found that Jericho Turnpike is the deadliest road for pedestrians in the Tri-State area, followed by Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County. In fact according to this report, five of the top 13 deadliest roads in the Tri-State area are in Suffolk and Nassau Counties, resulting in the deaths of 57 pedestrians from 2011 to 2013. Their analysis also found that in the three years from 2010 to 2012, there were 683 pedestrian fatalities on roads in the twelve downstate New York counties.
Rep. Israel is a co-sponsor of the Safe Streets Act, which would require each state to implement policies to ensure all new transportation projects that use any federal funds accommodate the safety and convenience of all users, including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, motorists, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. The aim is to make sure that the safety of all users, including pedestrians, is a leading concern. In order to achieve this, the Secretary of Transportation would assist state and metropolitan planning organizations in developing, adopting, and implementing these safety standards, called “Complete Street” standards.
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